Almost 40% of motorbikes on the roads in Spain don't have valid ITV and nearly 30% are being ridden without insurance

According to the association of technical vehicle inspection test stations (AECA-ITV), some 37 per cent of the motorcycles on the roads in Spain do not have a valid vehicle certificate. In other words, out of the 4,369,990 registered motorcycles, at least 1,606,377 do not have an up-to-date ITV.

"Despite the efforts and safety campaigns of the national Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) and the awareness campaigns carried out by the AECA-ITV, almost four out of ten motorbikes on Spanish roads may not be complying with road safety and environmental protection standards," explained Guillermo Magaz , managing director of the AECA-ITV.

But the figure is even more worrying when the data for mopeds is analysed. Of the 1,618,349 mopeds registered with the DGT, at least 1,231,397 do not have a valid ITV certificate.

The data provided by the DGT also shows a high level of non-compliance in terms of insurance, although somewhat lower than in the case of the ITV. The official information shows that 27 per cent of motorbikes circulate without having the compulsory insurance in force and, in the case of mopeds, the figure reaches 69 per cent.

In fact, by analysing official data, AECA-ITV has been able to show that more than one million motorbikes in Spain do not have an up-to-date MOT or insurance in force, or at least their insurance data is not available. This figure is very similar to that recorded for mopeds.

"This is a really worrying situation, especially when we analyse the accident figures so far this year for this type of two-wheeled vehicle. As of 10 September, since 207 motorcyclists and 14 moped riders have been killed. If we want to improve this situation, we must ensure that both motorbikes and mopeds have a valid ITV and are in a good state of maintenance," Magaz concluded.